by Lauren Dane
Chapter One
Kendra sat up in her bed on a strangled gasp, her hand outflung to ward off the danger she’d dreamed of. Before she could shake off sleep enough to call Renee to check on her sister, her phone rang.
She scrambled to grab it as the dream wore off and set her free.
“Yes? What’s happening?”
“Kendra, can you come over please?”
Kendra shoved her hair from her eyes, getting out of bed and yanking pants on. “Jack?” she asked, recognizing her brother-in-law’s voice. “What’s going on?”
“Renee’s had a dream. She’s upset and she won’t talk about it without you.”
“Give me a few minutes. I’m on my way.”
“Max is on his way to your apartment right now. I’d send one of my men, but he’s closer and obviously capable of protecting you. Don’t leave until you know it’s him.”
“I don’t need an escort,” she managed to say as she pulled on her bra and then a shirt. Max. A delicious warmth pushed away some of her panic. Still, it wasn’t time for adolescent mooning over a boy she could never have. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“Kendra, your sister will kill me if something happens to you because you were attacked.” Jack’s voice lost some of its bite. “She’s safe now. I know you’re worried. Just sit tight. Please?”
She smiled, knowing he couldn’t see her and also that he loved her sister with a ferocity she’d only ever seen in a shifter. For such an alpha male to break down and plead only made her more worried about her sister even as it pleased her that he clearly adored Renee.
She sighed. “Fine. Just keep her awake and don’t let anyone inside until I arrive. If he’s not here in five minutes, I’m going without him.”
His sigh was way less tired and more agitated.
“What? Come on, Jack, I’m worried about her and she’s there and I’m here. I can’t wait all night. I’m worried. All right?”
“All right. And Kendra?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“I love my sister. It’s not a thing.”
She hung up and put on shoes while she brushed her teeth quickly. Max de La Vega was one of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on, the least she could do was not look like a hag when he arrived. They’d exchanged some looks. Mild flirting. Renee had told her he was dating a woman, another jaguar shifter, but had broken things off a few months back. Renee seemed to think it was about Kendra. She’d love to believe that, but he was not her normal fare. Like a five-star restaurant with all the dollar signs and she was that little pho shop down the hill that everyone loved because it was good and fit a budget.
Hm. That didn’t necessarily sound right. But whatever, it was an argument she was having in her head, who would judge?
She heard the purr of an engine and looked out to the street where Max had just pulled up. Not bad. Four of the five minutes she’d given Jack. He probably drove like a crazy person, which, given the situation, she appreciated as she jogged down the inner stairs and outside to meet him.
He—good sweet heavens—looked soooo good standing there on her stoop she nearly forgot her sister was in trouble.
“Did you look through the peephole before you came barreling out here?” he asked her in that voice, the voice she’d been thinking about since she’d first heard it nearly four months before. A rumble, a growl and sometimes if she was very lucky, nearly a purr.
Still, hello, she wasn’t a five-year-old.
“Nope. I rushed out here with dollar bills pinned to my shirt.”
He snorted, a smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. “Come on then, car’s right there.”
If by “car,” one meant a sleek black jaguar. Which, okay, she laughed and he looked at her sideways.
“What?” He hustled her inside the still-running car, and he lectured her about opening her door? “You’re a black jaguar, am I not supposed to notice your car is too?”
Without asking, he reached over and belted her in before squealing away. “Watch the upholstery, you’re going to rip it to shreds.”
“If you didn’t drive like a maniac I wouldn’t have to hold on so tight. Also, you left your car running! You lectured me on opening my door, which, yes, I did look out first, I’m not a moron, and your car was unlocked and running on a city street in Boston at three in the morning.”
“Who’s going to steal from me, Kendra? Hmm?”
He had a point, she supposed. “It’s not like a thief is going to know you’re some super-duper alpha jaguar shifter.”
He laughed then. “Oh little witch, you’re so smart and powerful and yet naïve sometimes. Predators always know other predators. Or they become prey.”
Oh.
“I’m nearly five-nine, I’m not little.”
“You are compared to me.”
Hmpf. If he wasn’t eleven feet tall that wouldn’t be true. Then again, if he wasn’t six and a half feet tall of delicious chocolate skin, he wouldn’t be as ridiculously sexy as he was. Which would be a shame because he was the fodder for many of her best masturbatory fantasies.
“Why are you on guard duty anyway?” She pretended to ignore the way he drove all while fervently thanking the universe for airbags.
“Galen asked. It was you. I came.”
It was her? Really? What did he mean? That she was Renee’s sister and so his relation? Or her specifically because he had fantasy wankfests about her? Gah, okay, she didn’t need to go down that road just then. They turned onto Renee’s street, and she tensed, holding her bag ready.
“Hold on, babe. No need to hurt yourself jumping from a moving car,” he said, screeching to a stop.
“‘Babe’?”
“I could call you sexy if you prefer.”
She huffed an annoyed breath, swinging her door open and jumping out. “I’m not that girl, Max de La Vega.”
“Dream on, Kendra. You are and more,” he murmured as he got out on his side, making her all flustered. Several times over the last few weeks he’d turned her into goo with silly things. The way he looked at her, or some tossed-out comment.
At first he’d sort of been wary, but friendly. Slowly though, it had felt as if he’d begun to focus on her in an altogether new and non-related sort of way. His attention wasn’t so much off-putting, but intense. He had a way of looking at her, intimate, as if he brushed her skin with his lips as he stared.
They were all that way, the shifter males, no matter the rank, they were intense beings. They paid attention on a level she hadn’t thought existed.
This one in particular also had a way of moving like there wasn’t a damned thing in the universe capable of scaring him. He owned every single step he took. Simply expected everyone to pay attention and be there when he needed it. Like the way he handed his keys off to Gibson, Max and Galen’s brother and the Bringer of the jamboree, who tossed them to another guy who drove off without a word.
Cripes, there were at least six shifters out in front of the house, all on guard. Their magick filled the area with loam and fur. Her magick always rose in the presence of Weres, it flowed around her like a warm breeze.
Gibson cleared people from the base of the steps and nodded at Kendra. “They’re inside waiting.” Gibson rarely said much, but damn he was pretty to look at.
Two extra-large males flanked them, leading them into the house. She really had no idea how Renee could take all this coddling and manhandling. It drove her nuts.
“Come on up. Renee is waiting for you.” Galen motioned to her and she pushed past the guards to jog up the stairs to her sister.
“She’s in the bedroom.” Jack stood at the door, directing her inside.
Renee was there, sitting in the bed, her eyes wide and glossy from unshed tears. Kendra went to her, hugging her tight. Their connection snapped into place, filling Kendra with the warmth of their like magick.
“Shhh. I’m here. You’re here.” Kendra pushed the hair from Renee’s face. “No one else is.” She knew her sister would always carry the fear that something or someone had gotten inside her. Who wouldn’t be after her experiences in the last several months?
“You sure?”
She nodded. “Would you like me to scan you again? And the room too?” She could simply barge in and see herself, but Kendra believed very strongly that it was a violation of her gifts to not seek permission to use her magick on another person in anything other than self-defense.
“You can do that?”
“We have something called othersight. Some of us have more than others. It’s like you with healing, right? Each of us has a unique set of gifts. We talked about this before, and I think you’re coming along so well I can teach you.”
“Then yes, please.”
She stood and went to where Jack guarded the open door. The place had filled up with so much alpha shifter it stirred her blood and messed with her concentration.
“I need to close the door. There’s a lot of energy out there. It’s like white noise. You can stay in here, or just on the other side. All right?”
He nodded once, his gaze returning to Renee, who smiled at him, relaxing the rigidity of his spine a bit.
“Whatever you need.”
She closed the door after squeezing his hand.
“Okay then.” Kendra reached inside herself, unlocking the door to the well of her magick, letting it flow outward to fill the room. Through the eyes of her magick, she saw nothing but Renee’s energy, green and vibrant, connected in a thousand ways with Galen and Jack. Their bond was written all over her, all over the space. That protected her.
There was nothing else inside her sister but her sister. Though she could see the marks made by Renee’s past and whoever had manipulated her memories. It had scarred her, but Renee would heal.
She opened her eyes, letting the energy swirl back to where it belonged. “It’s just you inside. There’s something outside. A shadow of something. I can’t tell yet if it’s old or new. But what’s in here, it’s not dark like before. The wards will hold.” A shadow was a whisper beyond the wards and Kendra had a feeling that’s what had awoken her from a dead sleep just a few minutes before.
“Thank goodness. I dreamed she knew. I dreamed, no, not dreamed. Kendra, she, Susan, had something to do with Mom’s murder. She knew, and they did something to me. They put something in me to make me forget.”
Kendra’s breath gusted from her lips. “Your memory came back?”
“Not all. But parts. I was on the swing set in the backyard and they were talking about Mom being dead. Talking about what to do with me. He knew. He was in on it. Our father had something to do with her murder.” Renee’s gaze had been on the past, but it sharpened, focusing on Kendra’s face. “You knew it.”
“Not for certain, no. But it felt logical. Logical that the way he’d acted pointed to his guilt on some level.” She hadn’t mentioned it because her sister hadn’t been ready to hear it. But the man had abandoned an infant and then had disowned another for daring to ask questions about her own past. That had guilt stamped all over it as far as Kendra was concerned.
“We need to call the police.” Renee sat up, stronger now that she’d been given the all clear.
“The police can’t help us and you know it. You need to drink that tea and go back to sleep. We don’t know where he is yet. Rosemary and Mary have been working on finding accurate locator spells. We’ve tried a few, but they haven’t worked so far. There’s nothing we can do right now but be patient.”
Jack tapped on the door, poking his head in. “Is she all right?”
“Some of our aunt’s spell is working. Her memories are unknotting, rising to the surface. This happens while we sleep a lot because our consciousness is at rest. She’s all right. The house is clear, the wards are holding.”
“What can we do?” Galen came in, pressing a mug into Kendra’s hands before moving to Renee and giving another to her. “Drink it.”
“He was part of her murder,” Renee said softly. Kendra didn’t have to ask who he was. Renee had just told her their father had a part in their mother’s murder. A fact Kendra had long suspected.
Kendra settled in and tried to stay patient.
“The memory... I was on the swings in the backyard. She came out, Susan, and they talked about Mom, how she was dead. They started talking about me. She said Mom had written spells into my skin, into muscle and bone, and they couldn’t kill me. He—he said she should put a pillow over my face.” Renee’s voice broke and Kendra wanted to hurt their father very much.
“He’ll get what’s due him. I promise you that.” Kendra meant every word. What had happened to their mother needed to be avenged. What they’d done to Renee, and to Kendra. They needed to pay and they would.
“Susan told him they could drain me for years. They broke my memories.”
And Susan had been drawing from her since. A chill passed through Kendra at that. “It’s what kept you alive. That and the wards Mom made for you. It also means we know for sure Susan is a mage. She’s stealing magic.”
“We have laws for dealing with thieves and murderers.” Jack took a deep breath as he drew his fingertips along Renee’s temple. “And anyone who dares to hurt those weaker, like women and children, have a special place in hell. I’m going to kill them both to underline that point.”
Kendra patted his arm. “We have to find them first. I’m working on it with Mary, my teacher. It’s a matter of finding the right, um...” she paused, searching for the right word, “...frequency. That’s not it exactly, but it’s close enough.” Her head began to hurt, and she remembered she had to be up in a few hours to get ready for her third day of work. She had been building a normal life and it wouldn’t do to be late to this great new job. “I’m going to go back home. She’s shaken up, but aside from that, she’s fine.”
Kendra leaned down to hug her sister. “I’ll be here after work for our lessons. There’s no reason to be any more vigilant than you were yesterday. But still reason to be on your guard. You’re safe here and safe at work. Don’t let him win.”
“I’m sorry for dragging you out here when you have to be at work so early.”
Kendra laughed at her sister. “You have to be up even earlier than I do. Anyway, that’s what family does. I love you. You needed me and I came. End of story.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Galen looked to Jack. “Get her settled, I’ll keep the guards. Can’t see wasting them since they’re here already.”
“Great. More guards.” Renee frowned.
They couldn’t protect her anyway if the attack was a magickal one done over a distance. Still, Kendra knew, despite her sister’s annoyance, she felt safer in the presence of Galen or Jack and the guards. Kendra didn’t blame her either.
“Stop whining. I’ll see you later today.”
“Love you! Hey, how’d you get here so fast?”
“Max brought me.”
Renee looked to her and back to Galen. “Don’t forget she rode over with someone. Make sure she’s taken care of.”
Galen merely stared at Renee for a long moment and she grinned sheepishly. “Right. I’m sure that’s already done because I’m married to the most efficient and careful men on the entire planet.”
“Precisely.” Galen winked and escorted Kendra out to the main room where Max reclined on a chair, very much the king he was in line to be. Relaxed. On the surface. But Kendra had felt his power from the other side of the door in Renee’s bedroom. Even then as he sat on the chair, she saw the tension there, the energy bound up in his muscles, waiting to strike if and when it was necessary.
“No one would ever steal a car from him.” This made her a bit cranky as her car had been stolen just the week before and found totally trashed some sixty miles west.
Galen looked at her askance for a moment. “Max? Hell no. No one would dare.”
She started to laugh, but then the snap of Max’s attention landed on her and all she could do was stare at him as he stared at her.
In the background she knew Galen spoke. Max answered. Other big giant males stalked around looking menacing. Funny how Kendra had found herself used to, even comforted by, at times, the new reality of her life in Boston.
* * *
Max knew the moment she’d finished, felt the subtle and delicious shift of her magick. He loved that about her. She was rich and spicy with power, a scent so heady it made him drunk whenever he was around her.
The first time he’d laid eyes on Renee’s sister he’d been hooked. Hooked on her scent. The sound of her voice. Her prickly demeanor. Oh how he loved that she could be so bitchy. She was a woman who would brook no bullshit, though he had the feeling she hadn’t always been so.
As a human, even being a powerful witch wouldn’t overcome the prejudice some of his jamboree would feel about her. As such, any woman he’d bring home who wasn’t a shifter needed a strong will. When he brought her home the first time, and he would, she’d need to set the tone. He’d talk with Renee about it, knew his parents would be behind the relationship, as would Galen and Gibson. The rest would be hers to win over or scare into leaving her alone.
He had a plan for the future of his jamboree. A plan to leave behind the rules that reinforced the prejudices of the past. Kendra would be integral to that, a partner in the future of his people.
Kendra was it for him. The person he’d been waiting for. His father had always told Max he’d know it when he finally met the right woman. Mainly Max had thought that had been a bunch of woo-woo bullshit. Until Kendra.
He’d been dating someone until right after she’d come to town. It’d taken him a little while to be sure his attraction to Kendra wasn’t just about her ass, and God knew it was the finest ass in all creation. Damn he loved each and every mouthwatering curve Kendra Kellogg possessed. Once he’d known it was more than chemicals dancing around between them, he’d broken things off neatly and carefully and given himself some time between the breakup and the asking out. Not that he’d stopped thinking about her, or that he hadn’t spent every moment creating a plan of attack. He was, after all, a predator.
Now it was time. He didn’t like it that they didn’t share enough intimacy to have him come into her apartment and have him stay the night. If she’d been a Were, things would have been different. She’d have either bloodied him for getting too close, or pounced on him if she wanted him. She wasn’t a Were though, she was human and his behavior needed to reflect that. He wanted her to be totally safe, totally comfortable, and watching her just then sent his cat pacing with wanting her.
He stood, loving the way she greedily took in how he looked. Sending her a raised brow and a smile, he held a hand out. “Ready?”
Taking his hand, she sent him a look that went straight to his toes. “Thanks. I’m sorry you have to run me home. I’m sure you have to be tired too.”
“It’s my pleasure to take you home, Kendra. I only need about four hours’ sleep each night anyway. I’m often up at four so I can work out before I go to the office.” He walked her out, sending Galen an annoyed look when he hugged Kendra. Gibson, of course, saw the look and delighted in not only hugging Kendra, but kissing her cheek.
“Come on, let’s get you home so you can rest a little before you have to be at work.” He shot Gibson a raised brow, promising retribution as they walked past. His brother, nonplussed, rolled his eyes and flipped Max off. Punk.
He wanted to drag out his time with her, but saw the fatigue written into her face. “You’re not getting enough rest,” he said as he stopped at a red light.
“It’ll be better in a few weeks, once I get myself situated here better.” She blew that little lie with a yawn.
“How’s school?”
Kendra had recently started teaching a third/fourth grade combo class at a private magnet school. He knew the school was very prestigious. The judge he was appearing before in just a few hours had two kids who went there.
“I haven’t been there long enough to know a whole lot, but from the experiences I’ve had so far, it’s really good. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to work with the rest of the faculty and the students. It’s a sister school to the one I taught at back in California, so it gave me a bit of weight in the hiring process. The opening was right exactly what I needed and where I’d fit best.” She shrugged. “It was meant to be.”
“Yeah. I think so too.”
He pulled up in front of her building. It was a decent enough place, had been Jack’s before so it would be safe, though probably smelled of wolf. Max managed to hold back a sneer. Not that he didn’t like wolves. He just didn’t want his woman smelling like one, a male one who’d mated with his brother and sister-in-law.
He could get past that part because he knew for sure she’d be safe there. The place was also close to Renee, which was important to Kendra. Near the T stop she took to the school since her car had been stolen. Well lit, though he’d been looking for those little fuckers who’d stolen her car. He would find them eventually. Gibson was on it. No one stole from their people and got away with it. He hated the very idea of her being without a car, even in a city as mass-transit-friendly as Boston. And he really hated that she’d been taken advantage of by thugs.
“Is Renee going to be all right?” He sent her that damned raised brow when she moved to grab the door handle and she sighed heavily. “I’ll get the door.”
“It’s really not necessary,” she said as he opened it for her.
“Of course it isn’t necessary.”
“So you’re doing it why?”
He laughed, brushing her hair from her face. “Because I want to do it. I like doing it.”
“Oh. Why?”
“So full of questions. Because I want to take care of you. It pleases me.”
Her frown was more of confusion than anger or fear. She had the sweetest line between her eyes, most likely from her tendency to wear every single emotion on her face. Not that he’d say so. Females tended to get pissed off when you pointed out any wrinkle, even if it was one he wanted to smooth away with his lips.
“It does? Well then. I...”
Fascinating. He’d flustered her.
He didn’t resist his desire to slide his thumb over that line between her eyes. She relaxed, slightly leaning into his touch, most likely not even knowing it. “No need to say anything. Right now anyway. Time for rest.”
She shook her head with a sigh, apparently letting go of whatever it was she was going to say. “Renee is fine. The wards are holding. She’s growing and her control of her power is also growing. I gave the place a look, there’s nothing inside that’s bad. She’s just remembering things. I’m sure Galen told you.”
“Some.” He frowned, hating that she and Renee had to shovel the emotional shit their piece-of-crap father had left in his wake.
“The memories she’s regaining, well...” Kendra paused, the pain on her face. “I hate to say it, but for a time anyway, it was better she didn’t know all this. Probably kept her safe. What could she do as a child with that anyway? But she’s not that child anymore and she’s fine now. Stronger than most people assume.”
He brushed his thumb over the dark smudges under her eyes. What he really wanted to do was to pick her up and take her to his house. Wanted to get her a mug of tea, a hot bath, a massage and lots of sleep. Oh and sex. But mainly the taking-care part because she needed it.
“You’re both strong. Now, I’m walking you to your door.”
“It’s really fine. My place is safe.”
“I’m sure it is,” he murmured as he hustled her up the steps, waiting for her to unlock the outer door.
“You’re just going to leave your car?”
“We went over this before.”
She snorted. “Some people have all the luck.”
He laughed. “We’ll get you squared away with this car situation.”
“My insurance is getting me a check. No need to square away anything.” She unlocked her door and he went in first, taking a deep breath and instantly going hard.
Christ, her scent drove his cat nearly as insane as the man. Not even a hint of wolf. It was all sexy, fertile witch, and it brought a moan he had to tamp down. The cat had more patience because he knew she was his. But the man knew it would take a lot more than being his to lure the sexy Kendra Kellogg into his life and keep her there.
“All clear. Just you in here.” And now him. He smiled when she couldn’t see his face.
“Really? Golly I’m pretty sure I said that already.”
God he was messed up. Just the sound of her sarcasm made him have to fist his hands rather than haul her to his body and kiss her until she melted.
“You did. And now I can heartily agree with your assessment. Go to sleep, Kendra. I’ll see you later today at Galen’s.”
He went to the door but paused, changing his course and moving back to her. She looked up at him, her sleepy green eyes wide.
“I forgot something.”
“What?”
“This.” He leaned down—careful not to touch her or he’d have her clothes off in five seconds—and kissed her.
Just a soft, slow brush of lips against hers. She opened her lips to him, the sweetness of her mouth tempting him to do more.
Instead he made himself stop after one last nip of her bottom lip.
“Sweet dreams, beautiful Kendra.”
He left, smiling as he caught sight of her peeking out the window at his car, running, sitting next to the curb.
Inside, she watched him drive away, her lips still tingling from the unexpected and very lovely kiss. She’d wanted more, wanted his hands on her, wanted him to take her to the mattress and be inside her.
Max was the kind of man she’d never imagined would be interested in her. But he was the kind of man she understood without a doubt would know his way around a woman’s body.
Despite his broody, bossy ways, she liked him. She just didn’t know what to do with him or how to handle him. He wasn’t a man to be handled, she understood that, but she also realized he would never stay with a woman who didn’t push him back and keep him in line.
That sort of man took work. She wasn’t opposed to hard work, she just didn’t know if she had it in her to give it to him.
by Lauren Dane
Available wherever Carina Press eBooks are sold
Fall 2017
Copyright © 2017 by Lauren Dane